Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library each of the Indian Diaspora Champion's representations to the Government and Indian government on the EU ban on importing Indian mangoes.

The UK Diaspora Champion, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Ms Patel) has made three trips to India since her appointment. These visits took place in November 2013, January 2014 and July 2014. She accompanied the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) during his programme to New Delhi and Kolkata, attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Overseas Indian Day) conferences in Punjab and New Delhi, accompanied the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osbourne) to Mumbai and New Delhi, and met with a wide range of interlocutors including Prime Minister Modi. Ms Patel has also made a number of visits to businesses, community groups and places of worship around the UK, including to Gravesend, Hounslow, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Southall. During these visits, she was supported by various staff members including members of her Parliamentary team, her Ministerial Private Office and Foreign Office staff, according to the nature of the visit. Ms Patel has made representations about matters of concern, including the EU ban on importing mangoes and visa service issues, on behalf of the diaspora community. These representations include writing to the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and the Prime Minister in relation to the EU ban on importing mangoes, to ask them to call for the ban to end.